


Maybe The Night

by storm_dog_pirate



Category: Nikolai Series - Leigh Bardugo, The Grisha Trilogy - Leigh Bardugo
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Anyways, College AU, F/M, HAHALKJAHSFD, Modern AU, No Plot, but I can't, i should really stop myself from writing the college au, oh no there was only one bed, only cuddling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-11
Updated: 2020-08-11
Packaged: 2021-03-06 07:08:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,627
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25839346
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/storm_dog_pirate/pseuds/storm_dog_pirate
Summary: There was only one bed. Need I say more?
Relationships: Nikolai Lantsov/Zoya Nazyalensky
Comments: 4
Kudos: 49





	Maybe The Night

**Author's Note:**

  * For [wafflesandkruge](https://archiveofourown.org/users/wafflesandkruge/gifts).



> for @wafflesandkruge's college AU

Zoya winced at the sound of the infuriating blond’s excited voice on the phone.

“Three days alone with you, Nazyalensky? Is this a blessing in disguise?” Nikolai, the biggest idiot she’s known for years, practically cheered. How could he have such endless energy even at night? 

"I'd say it's a curse, Lantsov. I'd have to endure a week's worth of you babbling," Zoya muttered as she zipped her suitcase close. "I still haven't forgiven you for taking the midnight flight."

"But it's the last one available if we want to make the plant visit in the morning," he reasoned out. "Well, aside from the fact that Professor Juris might set our asses on fire if we don't make it there in time." 

Zoya laughed darkly. "I'm his favorite student," she said with a bit of pride. "So basically the only ass in danger here is yours."

"Harsh."

"Honest." And before Nikolai could even say something that would prolong their conversation again, she quickly added, "Where are you, anyway?" 

"Look outside."

Zoya raised a brow, setting the phone beside the suitcase on the bed. She stomped to her apartment window and looked out. 

The curb below was empty. 

She frowned and, as if Lantsov could see her, he let out a loud laugh. 

"Wait, my bad. I said that too early. The cab is just rounding the corner to your street."

Zoya was in the mood to murder a certain blond tonight. "Why did the saints put me in this situation of being your research partner?"

Nikolai chuckled. "Maybe because we're both one of the top tier students in our program?" 

"Ah, yes. Thinking highly of ourselves again, yeah?" 

"But you ask for a reason, so I gave it," he said, and then there was a shuffle and muffled voices. After a moment, he said, "Alright, I'm outside of your complex. For real this time." 

Zoya narrowed her eyes and looked down the window again. True enough to what Nikolai said, their cab was parked in front of her building. She could already see his blond hair standing out under the light as he got out from the car. 

"Well, aren't you a sight for sore eyes," she said. "I'll see you in a few."

With that, Zoya ended the call and grabbed her suitcase, double-checking if she had forgotten anything else before leaving her place. 

They had been tasked  _ together _ to visit a certain geothermal power plant on the other side of the country that could help them in their plant design in their last year of their program as per Professor Juris’ words. Visits were usually conducted by incoming fourth year students during the summer term, but the both of them were only in the beginning of their third year. So it was definitely in their advantage.

What Zoya hadn’t anticipated was being paired with the biggest idiot on the planet. She had been talking with their professor quietly in the faculty room and then Nikolai came in with his signature grin that became even wider when Juris told him that they were paired up for the trip.

Perhaps it’d be a blessing in disguise because Zoya would probably let him do all the talking and questioning. 

Nikolai was already meeting her halfway down the steps of her building and getting her suitcase when she stepped out. She frowned as it was snatched from her hand and he put it inside the trunk.

“Are you being a real gentleman or are you going to plead for the window seat again?” Zoya eyed him suspiciously as he opened the car door for her as well. She wasn’t the type to ignore kind actions, but she’s also not the type to fall for it easily. “Because it’s not going to happen.”

His smile faded. “I am deeply hurt, Nazyalensky,” Nikolai said a bit too dramatically, putting a hand to his chest for emphasis. Then with a pout, he said, “Please?”

Zoya only snickered and got in. “Probably next time,” she said.

The flight was an agony to get through. They were expected to arrive at eight in the morning, and it meant having to endure Nikolai having to babble for at least another six hours. By the fourth hour, Zoya was starting to feel more irritated as the lack of sleep from yesterday came back to hit her. She had never been comfortable to fall asleep during flights and the book she had been reading had hit a boring point, so she just slammed it close with a huff.

“Bad mood, eh?” Nikolai asked, looking at her above the thin frames of his glasses. He showed no signs of exhaustion even though it was almost five in the morning. She figured she’d ask his secret for staying lively the whole day. “Tired of reading? You try to get a bit of sleep. We still have a few hours.”

Zoya snorted. “I would already be if I could,” she mumbled, leaning back in her seat more comfortably. “I can feel sleep around the corner but it won't come.” She made a move to grab the glass of wine on the small table in front of him, but his hand was faster and he held it out of her reach.

Nikolai wiggled a finger. “Na-uh, you’re not yet twenty-one, truffle.”

“Oh, really now?” she said, her eyebrows furrowing. “Who could tell?” 

“No one. But I’d rather not let you succumb to the temptation of underage drinking.”

“You’re being dramatic.”

“A good one, that is.” Nikolai downed the drink in one gulp and set the glass back on the table. He gave her a wink. “Now the temptation is gone.”

Zoya only rolled her eyes and looked away. Her head was already throbbing as she put a hand up to her temple and began massaging it. There were still a few hours of agony to go. 

It was then that Nikolai offered an earbud to her, a small smile on his lips. “Music helps me sleep sometimes. It might help you too,” he said. When she didn’t take it right away, he added, “Don’t worry, I have a great music taste.”

“If this doesn’t have any The Fray, I’m suing,” Zoya said, making Nikolai laugh as he showed her the screen on his phone. She huffed in approval and put the bud in her ear. “Alright, I’ll bite.”

Nikolai grinned. “That’s the spirit,” he said. “Just try to get a bit of shut-eye. If it still doesn’t work, I’ll tell you my whole life story so you won’t be bored.”

Zoya wrinkled her nose at the thought. “I’ll definitely force myself to sleep because that sounds horrifying.”

“Harsh.”

“Honest.”

“Now sleep, I’m ignoring you from now on.” Nikolai pushed his glasses up his nose and went back to reading.

“Idiot,” Zoya mumbled, but closed her eyes anyway. It took only a minute for heaviness to finally wash over her. Perhaps the infuriating blond did have an effective way for inviting sleep over.

She let sleep take her with Rainy Zurich echoing in her ears.

***

Zoya woke to a nudge on her shoulder and a gentle voice saying, “Rise and shine. We’re here.”

She opened her eyes groggily, and she looked up to meet Nikolai’s hazel ones that were twinkling with amusement. “What—” she stopped abruptly when she realized that she was clutching on his arm and she had fallen asleep on his shoulder.  _ And _ his jacket was draped around her. She quickly let go of him, feeling her face heat up as she handed him back the garment. “You should’ve woken me much earlier.”

Nikolai had the  _ audacity _ to chuckle. “But you looked comfortable enough. It’d be a crime to disturb you,” he said.

The next half hour was a blur through her still-hazy mind, and then they were out of the airport. Nikolai had bought them coffee from a nearby vending machine as they waited outside for their ride to the hotel they were going to stay in.

“Took me ten minutes to find one that was willing to go through the shit traffic,” Nikolai said over the rim of his small cup. The steam from the coffee clouded the lenses of his glasses with moisture, and he immediately reared back with a wince. Zoya stifled a laugh. “It should be here any minute now.”

Zoya took a sip from her own cup, feeling the warmth of the drink soothe her morning mood. It was already quarter to nine, but she felt like it was way earlier than that. “What time was the visit again?”

“Around ten, I think? Hold on, let me check.” Nikolai pulled out his phone and began scrolling. “We have at least an hour to unpack our things and—oh, what the hell.”

“What?”

“They moved it tomorrow,” he said with a wince, showing the email to Zoya. 

She closed her eyes as her head pounded. “Saints,” she muttered. Not having the two-day visit schedule happening today meant having to spend the whole day with the infuriating blond. Merely thinking of that made her question everything she had done to get this. “That’s a pain.”

Nikolai sighed, putting the phone back to his pocket. “At least we have the whole day free,” he said. And then, as if he remembered something important, he cursed under his breath. “With free, I really meant review. I keep on forgetting about the midterm in Heat and Mass Transfer on Monday.”

“Wait, that’s on  _ Monday _ ?”

“Unfortunately.”

Zoya made a face. “What the fuck,” she muttered. If things could get any worse, she hoped that it’d end after the next one. Erase that—she hoped there’s no next. “Let’s start the problem set. Come over to my room in the evening. ”

“Such a bold declaration, Nazyalensky.” Nikolai wiggled an eyebrow, and then winked at her.

Zoya frowned, and it took her a moment to realize how her previous statement sounded. She kicked his leg. “Idiot.”

Nikolai laughed as he feigned being hurt from the kick. Thankfully, their ride finally arrived and it saved the infuriating blond from being beaten up further. He automatically got his suitcase, and also went to get Zoya’s in his other hand before walking over to the car’s trunk. 

“Acting the gentleman again, eh?” she said as she opened the car door and got in the backseat. 

He slipped in a moment later, telling the driver the name of the hotel they’re going to. He turned to her after. “It’s for having to endure me for the rest of the drive to the hotel. Traffic sucks.”

“Who says I have to endure you when I can sleep instead?” Zoya scooted a bit further, making sure to put a good distance between them. She wasn’t falling asleep clutching him again. “I can sleep easier this time.”

“Whatever you say.”

***

Nikolai checked his watch for the nth time since they left the airport. It’s almost an hour ago, but they were still on the road. Also not to mention that his right shoulder had gotten numb from the weight of Zoya’s head leaning on him. 

So much for ‘sleeping much easier’; he was being made as a body pillow. Not that he was complaining.

After several more minutes, the car finally pulled over the front of their hotel. Nikolai turned his head slightly to the side and was immediately met with the sight of ebony hair. She surprisingly smelled of wildflowers. 

He shook his thoughts away as he nudged her gently with his other arm. "Rise and shine, Zo," he said cheerily.

Zoya jolted awake, and, when she realized that she had fallen asleep on his shoulder again, she practically jumped back as if she had been burned. The redness on her cheeks didn't escape his eyes. 

Nikolai stifled a laugh as he looked her over. A stray hair had stuck on her cheek, and he fought the urge to brush it away. "You did fall asleep easier this time," he said, and then he tapped at his cheek. 

She seemed to understand the gesture and she tucked her hair back to her ear. "That didn't happen," she said, but it sounded more to herself than to him. 

"Ah, but it already happened twice, Zoya dear," Nikolai said with a grin. "It'd be much harder to forget it."

Zoya rolled her eyes and kicked his shin again, then got out of the cab. Nikolai shook his head as he paid the driver before following the raven-haired storm out. 

The lobby was a bit lively as both people and valets were bustling around. Looking at the number of guests, Nikolai felt a wave of unease in his stomach. He didn't know where it came from, but he knew better than to ignore a gut feeling. 

They walked over to the front desk and Nikolai instantly put on his signature grin. 

"Room for two please," he said.

The receptionist smiled back, but he noticed that it was apologetic. Oh no. Nikolai dreaded her next words. "I'm sorry, sir, but I'm afraid that the guest before you had taken one of the last two rooms currently available."

Nikolai blinked. Oh no, indeed. "So basically, you're saying that there's only one room left," he said, though he already knew the answer beforehand. He just needed to hear it for a second time to make sure he wasn't imagining things. 

"Yes, sir, that is what I meant."

So this was the gut feeling from earlier. He didn't know what to make of it. 

Zoya appeared at his side a moment later. "Can you please double-check?" she asked the woman. "You might have possibly missed one."

Nikolai looked at the receptionist expectantly as she peered over the screen. After a long moment, she only said, "One queen room on the fifth floor." She shook her head, her apologetic smile returning. "That's really the only one available."

Whatever the world had in store for them both was definitely not amusing. 

Without much of a choice, Nikolai said, "We'll take it."

He immediately felt Zoya's sharp gaze on him the moment the first word came out of his mouth, so he turned to her with a grimace. 

"The next one is far more distant from the plant, Nazyalensky," he said sheepishly. It was actually true, but the way she was glaring at him made him forget whatever explanation he was about to add. "Stop murdering me with your eyes."

Zoya's jaw twitched in annoyance. "Why didn't you make a reservation earlier in the week?"

Nikolai could only answer with a wince. "That's my bad."

"Yeah, that's definitely your bad." 

"Hey, at least I don't have to come over to your room to review this evening."

It was most likely the wrong thing to say. Zoya Nazyalensky could make anyone cower with a mere raise of an eyebrow, but a glaring Zoya Nazyalensky? It only meant murder.

Nikolai was saved when the receptionist gave them the keycard. 

"Enjoy your stay," she said, oblivious of the murder-by-glaring that was happening between them.

_ If she doesn't murder me by tonight, I probably will _ . But he could only give a smile as thanks before he turned to Zoya. 

Nikolai held out the card to her. "I'll buy you coffee for next week?" he offered with a sheepish smile. He could only hope that she would accept. 

She considered him for a moment, and then she snatched the keycard from his hand with a huff. "A week," she echoed, pointing a finger at him. 

A grin appeared on his face; he knew he was already forgiven. "Of course," he said. "I know you can't be mad at me for long." 

"Whatever," she mumbled before walking past him. 

Nikolai only smiled at her retreating form. Why did she have this certain effect on him? He'd never know. 

It's probably just the way it always had been. 

***

Evening came, and they already had settled nicely in the room. It was great, cozy and a bit too big, except for the fact that it only had one bed. Nikolai was hogging the whole desk, while Zoya was on the bed beside it. 

Both places were a mess of notebooks and papers and two frustrated students. 

Nikolai was furiously scribbling over his own copy of the problem set he had printed, the organization of his solutions in absolute shambles as he fought against the time to answer a problem. 

A few moments later, Zoya let out a string of curses. 

"What?"

"I used the wrong value of heat capacity,” she said, and then she was shuffling through the handbook nearest to her.

Nikolai tossed a thin stack of paper at her. “Don’t use the handbook’s data, it’s evil. Van Ness’ data is more accurate.”

“Isn’t he using the one from the handbook?”

“He doesn’t. He just says he does but when I checked, it’s all wrong. Such crimes.” Nikolai got distracted from his momentum, and his mind ended up shutting down. He slammed the pen down on the table, removing his glasses. “I have no idea if the postponed visit is a blessing or a curse.”

Zoya huffed. “Probably both, but more on the latter. Because I’m stuck in the same room as you,” she said, turning back her attention to the paper he gave her. 

Nikolai turned his chair to her direction, feigning a hurt expression as he did. “But it’s economical to have one huge room instead of two.”

“Good for the economy, yes. But for me? Probably not.”

“Harsh.”

Zoya waved the pen at him. “Honest.” She began scribbling on the paper on her lap again. After a long moment, she beamed, her grin lighting up her whole demeanor. Nikolai fought a smile on his lips. “I got it.”

He raised a brow as she handed him back his data sheet along with her solution. He eyed the paper with surprise, glancing at his watch. “Eight minutes,” he said, regarding her with respect. “I got lost in the sea of numbers.”

“Eight minutes in hell, yes. When it’s actually the exam day, those eight minutes will be twenty.”

“Blink, and five minutes will pass.”

Zoya laughed darkly. “That is one way to say it,” she said, leaning back on the headboard and closing her eyes. She looked exhausted, Nikolai noticed. The dark circles around her eyes were already prominent. 

“Why don’t you try and get some sleep first?” He looked at the clock on his laptop screen. “It’s almost midnight. We’ll have to get up by eight.” He paused, and then added, “Don’t worry, I’ll take the floor.”

“Don’t be stupid, the bed is big enough for the two of us. And the floor is cold, for sure,” Zoya said, cracking one eye open to glare at him. “Just make sure to stay on your side of the bed.”

Nikolai put a hand to his chest. “I am definitely moved, Nazyalensky. I think this is one of the rare times you considered my well-being,” he said jokingly. 

“Stop being annoying or I’ll take it back and make you sleep on the balcony.”

“Such cruel intentions.”

“Only for you,” she said, giving him a wink that caught him off-guard. It wasn’t usual that Zoya would answer back to his playful remarks. But whenever she did, it always surprised him. She began fixing her things in a neat stack. “Aren’t you going to sleep?”

Nikolai blinked, shaking himself out of his thoughts. He didn’t realize he had been staring at her; his lack of sleep was catching up to him. “Maybe later. I’m not tired yet.” He smiled, gesturing to the coffee mug beside his notes. “Besides, I still have fuel.”

Zoya put her things on the space at the other end of Nikolai’s table. “I need to know your secret of having endless energy.”

“Unlimited supply of coffee and optimism usually do the work.”

“I only have the former.”

Nikolai laughed and put his glasses back on his eyes. “I can probably pass some of mine to you,” he said.

“I’d take it.” Zoya settled at the far right side of the bed, crawling under the blankets and putting it until her shoulders. And then she mumbled, “Don’t overwork yourself too much.”

He had barely written anything on the paper when he stopped again. Nikolai glanced over Zoya, who had already begun snoring, a soft smile twitching on his lips. 

Perhaps being stuck in one room wasn’t so bad after all.

***

Two hours and endless yawns later, Nikolai felt sleep pulling him from his work. He was almost done with his problem set that had twenty problems, but he figured he’d continue it sometime later after they got back from the first day of the plant visit. He thought that they’d get free time to stroll around or lounge in their room. Or just sleep in throughout the day, as they had always lacked sleep due to their tight schedule. 

But the midterm in one of their major subjects wasn’t getting extended or moved, and like the very punctual students they were, they’d only started reviewing less than a week before the actual exam. 

With a tired sigh, Nikolai took off his glasses and put it on the top of the messy stack of papers. The clock on the lower right of his screen showed 2:05. Six hours sounded enough.

He looked at the bed, seeing Zoya sprawled across the bed and almost occupying the whole bed. Nikolai scratched the back of his ear with a grimace. So much for staying on their own sides of the bed. 

“Stay true to your words at times, Zo,” he muttered, already considering sleeping on the floor. But when he looked down at the carpeted floor, it didn’t look as inviting as the sheets on the bed. 

Nikolai sighed as he settled on the other side, near the very edge, trying to balance himself on whatever space was left for him. He made sure to not wake up the sleeping dragon beside him as he pulled the covers around his shoulders. Their close proximity only added to the warmth he felt all over his neck. 

Zoya shifted, and he felt her presence much closer on his back. Nikolai sighed exasperatedly.

Saints, he’s probably going to die early.

He shook his head. He was going to stay on his side of the bed until morning, and he’d make sure to do it. 

Nikolai moved a bit closer to the edge, maintaining a distance between him and Zoya, before closing his eyes and letting sleep take over.

***

The sound of the blaring alarm echoed through the room, and Zoya groggily cursed under her breath. She had forgotten to set off her usual early alarm during weekdays. 

“What the hell?” a voice mumbled. Why did it sound very near? 

She looked up with squinted eyes narrowed due to sleep, her gaze meeting the very familiar, and also groggy hazel eyes. It took Zoya a moment to process everything. When she finally did, her eyes widened.

Her head was nestled on Nikolai’s chest. 

And his arm was wrapped firmly around her shoulders.

A beat, and then Nikolai was literally jumping out of the bed as if he were burned, his face sheepish and apologetic at the same time. A wince was evident on his face as he opened his mouth to speak. “Saints, I’m so sorry,” he said, terror lacing his voice. He raised both arms in surrender. “I didn’t—” He stopped, shaking his head. Then he repeated, “I’m sorry.”

His usually combed back hair was sticking out in all directions and she had the strong urge to brush it back from his forehead—

Zoya averted her gaze, mentally chastising herself. “It’s fine,” she said, though it felt too forced for her own liking. Her heart hammered in her chest and she took a deep breath in hopes to calm her down. But it still seemed futile. With much more conviction, she said, “It’s fine.”

She rubbed at her arms, feeling the absence of extra warmth from him fade in the coldness of their room. The alarm was still blaring, and Zoya reached over the nightstand to turn it off. When she finally did, she stayed on her place with her back to Nikolai, whom she felt his gaze trained on her even without looking. 

She knew that the infuriating blond had slept late again, just as he always did, she felt bad having to cut his sleep off for at least two more hours. Nikolai could never get back to sleep once he woke up from his slumber. 

“I’m sorry, I forgot to turn it off.” Zoya looked at the numbers at the top of her screen. 6:02. Too early. She glanced over her shoulder, still not trying to meet his eyes. “I’ll get some early breakfast. You can shower first.” She narrowed her eyes at him, her usual snarkiness not going so well. She was really caught off guard with what just happened. “Make sure you’re done when I get back.”

Zoya got up and quickly left the room before she could even hear his reply. She had no idea what she would say if she stayed for a bit longer. 

It was nothing, she told herself. But the still pounding of her heart said otherwise.

When she got back half an hour later with their breakfast, Nikolai was shrugging on a dark button-down shirt and combing—more of  _ attempting _ to—his hair at the same time, clearly in a hurry. Zoya almost laughed at the sight. 

The blond seemed to notice her presence by the door and turned to her, offering her a grateful smile as he went over her and took the coffee from her other hand. “Let me guess,” he said, “black coffee?”

“Black as my soul.” Zoya could still feel the awkwardness between them, but it wasn’t as heavy as earlier. “Be a dear and set up the table on the balcony while I shower, will you?”

“Of course,” Nikolai said, taking the brown paper bag from her hand. “Anything for you.” He gave her a wink before walking to the balcony, whistling in his usual off-key tune. 

Zoya eyed his retreating form with a tired sigh. It was going to be a long day.

***

“Seriously, I feel like a week has already passed since we arrived,” Nikolai complained over the bed, making Zoya snort from her place from the table. He frowned, eyeing her above his glasses. “Alright, whose alarm blared at six in the morning and cut off my sleep to  _ three _ hours?”

“Are we playing the blame game now?” Zoya tried to forget the night before, but it seemed branded into her mind. “It’s good to wake up early sometimes, Lantsov.”

Nikolai wrinkled his nose. “Easier said than done, dear.”

The first day of the visit lasted for a few hours; it covered mostly the overview of the whole production and the kinds of equipment used. Nikolai handled most of the talking and asking, effectively pleasing their guide Mr. Grigori, who was the head engineer. 

Zoya was more focused on the concepts and the actual process, which would be covered in the next day.

After their visit, they had a late lunch in a small diner near the plant, because Nikolai was complaining about his growling stomach that wouldn’t last until the trip back to their hotel. So it involved them lounging there far longer than necessary as they had begun arguing— _ again _ —on something about the process mentioned to them by Grigori. Anyone who was within earshot probably had frowned and looked at them weirdly. 

Now evening came and it was time for them to review or just pretend to review, but Nikolai decided to hog the bed this time because it was ‘his turn’ as per the infuriating blond’s words.

Zoya shuffled through the stapled papers that were Nikolai’s solutions from last night. “You’ve finished all twenty items?” she asked in bewilderment. “What time did you sleep?”

“Three,” he replied with a wince. He was putting away his things from the bed. “I’m retreating for the night. The numbers are already flying out of the pages and I can’t get them back.”

“It’s ten in the evening.” Zoya glanced at the clock on her laptop screen to confirm. It was only five minutes past ten. She raised a brow as she turned back to him. “And you’re sleeping? Is this a miracle?”

Nikolai sighed. “Yes,” he said, “and also because you might hog the whole bed again and I’m left dangling on the edge.”

“No, I didn’t.”

"Yes, you did, Nazyalensky."

Zoya's mind decided to make her remember about their position earlier this morning, and it immediately made her face heat up. "Alright, I admit my mistake," she said, closing her laptop. 

"Zoya Nazyalensky, admitting her mistake?" Nikolai said, removing his glasses for more emphasis and dramatic effect. "Is this a miracle?"

"Shut up, or I will smother you in your sleep."

"Such cruel declarations."

"Only for you." 

Zoya stood up and went to her side of the bed, crawling under the covers with a contented sigh. 

"You're sleeping too?" She heard Nikolai ask beside her. 

"Obviously, you idiot," replied Zoya with narrowed eyes. "And also because I'm making sure you won't hog the whole bed."

Nikolai gasped dramatically. "I don't splay myself in an undignified manner like you." He arranged some of the extra pillows in a line between them. "There's our boundary, okay? Make sure you stay on your side."

Zoya rolled her eyes and scoffed. "I'd say the same to you, Lantsov." 

***

Apparently, it still happened again. 

Zoya woke up to the sound of soft snoring, the smell of mint immediately invading her nose and waking her mind up. She looked up to see Nikolai’s still-sleeping face inches from her own, his arm wrapped around her waist as hers was around his torso. 

She had a second to admire his peaceful look before she realized that they were snuggling again. 

With a firm tug, Zoya pulled away from his arms, effectively waking the blond. His eyes widened instantly and he reared back.

"The pillow line didn't work," Nikolai said, wiping a hand over his face. He gave her an apologetic smile that looked more of a wince. "Sorry." 

Zoya waved a dismissive hand. "It's fine," she muttered. She was taking the couch tonight.They were flying home tomorrow, anyway. She got up from the bed and turned to him. "Your turn to get breakfast. I'm going to shower." 

Nikolai raised a brow. "Just like that? No 'good morning'?"

Her reply was throwing a pillow over to his face before disappearing to the bathroom. 

***

The second visit was a bit better, though it went longer than the one they had yesterday. Zoya was completely engrossed in the processes Grigori was explaining, and it earned an amused chuckle from the infuriating blond to which she answered with a stomp to his foot. 

When the tour was over, Grigori had adored the both of them enough for him to give his business card and tell them that they could intern in the plant in the near future.

Zoya finally considered the trip as a win after the hapless events that happened to them in the past few days. 

But the bad luck seemed to return right after they left. 

It had been sunny for a while, and then suddenly the skies decided to rain down heavily. And, of course, being the good students they were, they hadn't bothered to bring an umbrella on their way here. 

After a long, shivering ride back to the hotel, they made it back to their room.

"I swear, the world is throwing shit at us on purpose," said Zoya the moment the door was shut. "The rain came out of nowhere."

Nikolai laughed lightly. "Ah, yes. Always expect the unexpected, truffle."

"I always expect the worst, Lantsov."

"Then consider this as one of the worst scenarios." He gestured to the bathroom. "You go first, you might get sick."

Zoya raised a brow, taking in his appearance. He was much more drenched from when he covered her head with his jacket the moment the rain had fallen. She eyed him with concern. "Are you sure?" she asked. "Your state of dress is much worse than mine."

Nikolai only waved a hand, a smirk evident on his lips. "Go on, Nazyalensky. Don't go soft on me now."

She only rolled her eyes in disbelief.  _ Still the idiot. _

***

Nikolai felt exhausted. But the trip was over and they'd be heading back tomorrow. It didn’t take that long for them to pack as they were both a bit organized with their things—all except in their notes and solutions. 

He was just closing his laptop after writing a brief introduction of their plant visit report, as he wanted to retreat a bit earlier because they have the morning flight tomorrow, when he noticed that Zoya had been too silent. It was only ten in the evening, but she was already curled up to her side of the bed. 

"Zoya?" Nikolai tried calling out to her, and, as he had initially expected, there was no answer. 

He felt concern twinge in his chest as he went to check on her. When he was near enough, it was only then he realized that she was shivering despite the blankets wrapped tightly around her shoulders. 

Nikolai eyed her with worry. "Zoya?" he asked gently, and then he reached a hand to her forehead. She was burning up. He quickly knelt down beside the bed, brushing her hair away from her face. "Zoya, love, you have a fever. Have you taken any medicine yet?"

Zoya's eyebrows were drawn tightly, her face scrunching up as if she were in pain. "Already did. . . .an hour ago. ." she muttered. She clutched the blanket tighter around her. Then she added, "I feel like shit."

Weirdly enough, it made him laugh in relief. At least she was still herself. "That's already a good sign of recovery," Nikolai said, tucking the covers around her more. "You'll feel a bit better in the morning." 

"Hmm…"

He considered it for another moment, but he figured that Zoya was in no shape to travel as early as five in the morning even if her fever broke after a few hours. It would still be hard for her.

Giving a quick call to the airlines, Nikolai requested a reschedule on the next flight in the afternoon. But all the afternoon flights back home were already booked, so the result was them having another red-eye flight at eleven next evening. 

Zoya would probably axe him again for it, but it was better than having her force out of her rest while she was recovering from her fever. 

Nikolai slipped under the covers when he got the new finalized schedule of their flight. He looked over Zoya's still-shivering form. He only hesitated for a second before reaching out and wrapping his arms around her, tucking her head under his chin.

She was warm enough to suffice for the coldness inside their room, and Nikolai pulled the covers tighter around them.

Even in her state, Zoya made an attempt to move away from his arms. "No," she mumbled weakly. But then after a short struggle, he felt her shift closer to him as if she were finally convinced. "You'll get sick too…"

Nikolai laughed lightly. "I'll be fine," he said softly. "You were actually the first one to shower after being drenched in the rain but you were still the one to get sick." He paused before jokingly adding, "And besides, you're hogging the whole blanket all to yourself."

"...idiot."

"Don't worry, I'm your idiot," he said. "Now go to sleep."

"Whatever."

A moment later, Zoya was already snoring. Nikolai pressed his cheek against her hair and closed his eyes. 

Sleep came comfortably this time. 

***

He woke several hours later to some gentle nudging. Nikolai groggily opened his eyes and met Zoya's tired ones, his eyebrows furrowing. 

"What?"

"Our flight home, what time is it again?"

Nikolai leaned back with squinted eyes, putting a hand to her forehead instead of answering. She still had a slight fever, but at least she was able to speak straight now. "Don't worry about it, get some more rest," he said, feeling the heaviness on his eyes coming back. He tucked her back under his chin and closed his eyes. "You can still sleep in." 

He had momentarily forgotten that Zoya wasn't easy to convince. "I remember you mentioning something about an early morning flight. What—" 

"I rescheduled it."

There was a short silence and then she said quietly, "Oh," He felt her arms snaking around his waist. "You could've just said so right away." 

Nikolai chuckled. "I doubt you would have believed me if I said it right away," he reasoned tiredly. "How are you feeling?"

"A bit better than last night," she replied. "And warm."

"That's good." He tightened his arms around her. "Go back to sleep."

Zoya only hummed as a reply. 

***

Zoya hadn't realized that when Nikolai told her to sleep in, he also meant that she wasn't allowed to get up from the bed. He had insisted not to worry about anything and did most things like going down to get breakfast and lunch, and even buying her favorite energy drink that she had been mulling over whether to ask him to buy or not. 

She ended up not able to ask that of him because he was already out of the door when she worked up the courage. But, somehow, Nikolai had still come back with two cans of it. 

So here she was, stuffed under the blankets and glaring at Nikolai as he switched the channels back and forth on the TV they'd barely used during their stay. 

"Please don't tell me that you booked another flight in the dead of the night," she said, stuffing a pillow on her back as she leaned on the headboard to see the TV better.

It was five in the afternoon, and she was feeling a lot like her old self now, except for the occasional throbs of pain in the back of her shoulder from lying in the same position for a while. 

She glanced at the blond, who was still busy frowning on the remote.

"Joke's on you, Nazyalensky, but I booked a flight in the dead of the night," he said without looking at her. "Well, in my defense, all the afternoon flights were packed. It's the only time available."

"You shouldn't have rescheduled it," she said under her breath, but he seemed to have heard it. 

Nikolai raised a brow to her direction. "Trust me, when I woke up at three in the morning to check your temperature, it was still quite alarming," he said. "I doubt you'll be able to get up without passing out on the spot."

Zoya blinked, suddenly reminded of how he had kept her warm and took care of her throughout the night. She only remembered flashes because of her hazy state of mind, but she was sure of those images.

"Are you feeling better now?" he asked after a moment. 

"Yeah, sure," she replied, wrapping the covers tighter around her shoulder. "Never better." 

Nikolai chuckled. "That's good news. At least I don't have to carry you on my back on our way to the airport." 

Zoya kicked his leg, earning another laugh from the blond. "Idiot," she muttered.

"A fine idiot, I am," he said with a wink. He switched the channel again, and beamed. "Ah, there you go."

"What—oh no, you're not." Zoya glared at Nikolai, who only had a grin on his face as he looked at the TV screen. His eyes were alight in amusement. "A reality tv show? Really?" 

"It's good to have some trashy shows in your system at times. It's fun." He held the remote out of her arm's reach when Zoya tried snatching it away from him. "Na-uh, we're definitely watching this." 

Zoya huffed. "You know, we still have the midterm on Monday, and it's already Friday. So why don't you stop wasting your time and review?" 

"But you're sick." 

"So?" 

"No study buddy means no review." He gave her a toothy grin. "There's no 'I' in 'team', truffle."

"But there's two in 'idiot', though."

"Harsh."

"Honest."

***

Zoya got a bit engrossed with the show, despite trying her best not to, even coming to a point that the two of them were already doing angry commentaries as it progressed. 

And true enough to Nikolai’s words, it was quite fun. Or maybe they had just been too focused on reviewing in whatever time they had in the past days. 

Soon enough, the episode ended in a way they didn't expect because they were agreeing—one of the rare times—on the most likely ending of tonight's episode. But when it didn't happen, Zoya cursed aloud, and continued to even as the credits rolled.

"What the hell was that? That wasn't supposed to—" she stopped abruptly when she looked over at Nikolai, who was already fast asleep, still leaning on the headboard with the remote in his hand. 

So that was why he was silent for the last ten minutes. Zoya thought that he had just been too focused on the show like she was, but it had been entirely the opposite instead. 

She couldn't help a small smile from twitching on her lips as she eyed his sleeping form. It was only one of the rare times he wasn't being annoying or blabbering; she might as well bask in the moment. 

Nikolai shifted for a bit, and his glasses fell down slightly on his nose. Zoya only hesitated for a second before reaching a hand out and removing his glasses from his eyes. She set it down on the nightstand beside him, and, with a bit of effort, draped a part of the blankets around him, moving closer to him as she did. 

Zoya had to admit that he was a great snuggler; not that she would admit it aloud to his fathead. 

A moment later, she felt Nikolai turn to her, mumbling, "You doing okay?" 

His eyes were still closed, and Zoya had to laugh lightly at his look. "Of course, I wouldn't want to reschedule our flight again." She paused, and before she could lose the courage, she mumbled, "Thank you."

Nikolai seemed to understand, and he chuckled, nudging her head with his affectionately. "Anything for you," he said, and Zoya felt her cheeks heat up. She was going to kill him for having this effect on her. "Get some sleep."

"As if we haven't been getting that all day." 

"Our flight is at eleven."

Zoya scowled. "Saints, I'm never forgiving you for that."

Nikolai gave a tired laugh as reply, though it sounded more of a hum instead. "Oh, please. You adore me."

She stopped at that, feeling her heart hammer in her chest. He was silent after that, followed by the sound of his soft snores. 

Zoya pondered over his words with slight panic. Maybe she really did. 

_ Shit _ . 

***

Hours later, they were finally at the airport. Zoya had been mumbling at him all throughout their way here that she was going to make him buy her coffee for two weeks instead of one. And Nikolai only laughed loudly in reply. 

"Hey, can I borrow your phone for a bit?" he asked, just before they boarded the plane. "I'll send a quick text to Professor Juris to inform him we're heading home. My phone's dead."

Zoya was scribbling something on her notebook when he asked, and she only nodded before fishing out her phone from her pocket and handing it to him. She remembered a certain detail about their visit out of the blue that might be useful in their research later, so she wasted no time trying to jot it down for reference. 

A light chuckle from the blond caught her attention, and Zoya looked up from her notebook, her eyebrows raised. 

"So, Zoya, did you like sleeping with me?" Nikolai asked, wiggling his eyebrows as he showed her an email from her phone.

It was from the front desk two days ago saying that another room had opened up. 

And her reply saying that they were fine with their single room directly below the email. 

"My, my, Nazyalensky, you could've just told me," he said with a knowing grin. 

Zoya felt her face heat up as she snatched her phone from his hand, and then also kicking his shin for good measure. "It's cheaper to stay in one room," she said defensively, but she knew otherwise. But she wasn't going to admit that. "Stop thinking too highly of yourself."

"Harsh," Nikolai said, dramatically putting a hand to his chest. 

"Honest."

"Then can you admit that you didn't actually mind cuddling with me for the past few nights?" 

"Shut up, or I'm changing your deal to three weeks."

Nikolai's hearty laugh echoed in her ears as she brushed past him, climbing up the plane. 

She was definitely getting back at him.

***

When she successfully snatched away and downed his drink on the flight later, she considered it as a win. 

" _T_ _ he _ Zoya Nazyalensky engaging in underage drinking? " Nikolai said. 

Zoya chuckled darkly. "Nobody would notice, anyway."

"You snatched my drink, why not snatch my hand and hold it too?" he said after a long moment, giving her a wink. 

She immediately kicked his leg with a muttered curse, her face heating up. "Shut up."

***

Zoya still held his hand, anyway. 


End file.
